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Sparking Snowflakes (ShockingShipping, PG-15)

A/N: This was my Secret Santa gift to Azran Flame. I hope she enjoys it and the direction I'm going with this. Also, you can PM Sweet May to double-check if you don't believe me.

Chapter 1: Clouds

The blonde looked around the snow-covered city of Nimbasa, taking in all of the lights and colors from the decorations. She was leaning on one of the many railings that covered to city walkways to make sure that the young children who run amok didn’t fall into the icy depths of the river below. She did fall in once, but she was able to get out before anyone noticed. If not, she wouldn’t have been a Gym Leader, and her entire life would have changed.

She looked at her X-transceiver, which had a golden outline with silver sparks decorated on them. She shifted through the various voicemails and emails she gotten stored on there to look at the time. Why she didn’t have it instantly pop up was still a mystery to her, maybe because of how she was such a klutz. She finally found the time -4:30 PM- and sighed.

The woman was going to be late to her appointment if she kept loitering on the rails. She started to walk towards Gear Station, making soft crunches into the layer of snow at her feet. She could taste peppermint in the air, something she commonly snacked on as a kid. She continued walking; the noises of children and Pokémon playing gave her a small comfort. She always seemed to find solace in the winter time; it brought such calmness to the normally sparking city. The Ferris wheel that normally ominously loomed over Nimbasa was transformed into a mechanical Cryogonal, the blue lights radiating in flashing hues made her smile and feel like a kid again. It was always nostalgic in the winter for the young Gym Leader.

She arrived in the station, where many trees and wreaths were decorated carefully to the doorways to the different trains, giving a sort of symmetrical feeling to the station. The bright greens and reds that dotted the entrances clearly contrasted with the dull brasses that the station were normally colored. She looked at the gigantic spire in the middle, which she thought was made to keep balance to the structure.

She went down the stairs, trying to avoid the furious holiday shoppers that were coming and going from Nimbasa, trying to get in presents for the day that almost everyone looked forward to. She went to the station clerk, who asked for her ticket.

“Here you go,” the woman enthusiastically told the clerk, though her face would suggest it was just a ruse.

“Alright, thank you, Miss Elesa. Hope you come back soon,” the clerk gave a curt bow with blush laced on his cheeks. He was one of the many fans of her, as Elesa was one of the world’s top models. It was expected that she’d get treated the way she did.

She just gave him a curt nod before walking onto the train, not wanting to waste time striking up a conversation. She preferred to be punctual, as it builds on her reputations as a credible model and gym leader. Though, sometimes this has led her to some bad corners. Elesa knew that sticking to her code of mannerisms was the optimal way to live her life.

If I just threw everything away… I would be like a kid again, but, it would also bring shame to me. Well, I can’t be dawdling on this subject; I have to get to that appointment…

Elesa sat down on the subway train, looking at her notebook of hairstyles. She was picking out one that would complement her Santa dress for the Nimbasa holiday parade. She shifted through the book during the slow ride to Castelia city.

/) (\

Stepping through the portal that’s called the subway station stairs, Elesa took in all of the colors and noises the exploded into her mind. Castelia City, the capital of the Unova Region, was on full blast for the holidays. She looked around, taking in the many sights such as the giant Christmas tree in Castelia Plaza and the ring of Cryogonal high above the city constantly providing snow.

Those Cryogonal, they must be hard at work. They’re doing their best to complete their job, trying not to falter even through the pain and suffering they go through. It’s just like me; I have to do that with both modeling and battling. It’s funny how this world works at times.

Elesa looked at her X-Transceiver melancholically, checking to make sure she had enough time to spare. She was surprised it was only five; normally the train got in the city at 5:25, five minutes before her appointment. She decided to have a look around the city within the area of her appointment, maybe to ease off some of her stress.

She decided to walk and take a left down Mode Street, as it was basically the shopping district of the city. She saw many stores and boutiques she commonly fancied to, everything from cosplay to Pokémon supplies. She was about to enter a store called “Sparking Boutiques”, her storefront for all of her current and past, fashion lines and trends. Though, she heard a sort of desperate screaming that caught her off guard.

“PLEASE! Does anyone want a Casteliacone!?” was basically the pleading scream of the Ice cream stand clerk across the street. Elesa, curious, decided to walk over there.

“Oh thank Arceus someone finally came over… Would you like anything to eat Ma’am?” the young ice cream clerk asked Elesa. Judging by her age and looks, she was around 16, just past the legal working age in Unova. It also looks like she’s been constantly stressed, and to a small extent… abused.

“Sure, my appointment isn't for another fifteen minutes so I’ll just take a simple vanilla, please.” Elesa told the girl, judging her body. She was certainly beautiful for a girl her age. It was such a shame she was working here.

Though, I wonder why she’s working here… She seems like a nice kid. She does have good looks, and is devoted to her work, but her outburst earlier. Was that… double-edged!?

“Here you go Ma’am! I hope you have a nice day! That’ll be two dollars,” she told her with a certain enthusiastic tone. Though, Elesa could see through the ruse. She felt this strange connection to this girl, no, it wasn’t love, she knew what that felt like. It felt more, as a bond… She needed to talk to her more.

“Excuse me, what’s you name dear?” Elesa asked in a soft, almost motherly tone.

“My name’s Mirabelle! I’m here from Driftveil city working at this here ice cream stand. Though, it wasn’t really my choice. I had to get a job to ensure my family had a happy holiday, as we never really have a happy one,” she seemed to explain to Elesa, and she instantly recognized why her voice was so familiar. All people in Driftveil have those types of accents. They’re polite, honest people as well.

“How about you come with me for dinner tonight? I think you have potential to be a model,” Elesa told Mirabelle

She just nodded, while Elesa left an extra tip of 3 dollars. Elesa grabbed her Casteliacone and walked to her hair appointment, savoring each bite as it was gold.

It’s always hard working there at winter. Nobody wants ice cream in the winter. Everyone, but me that is. II’ll see her later, I know I will.

/) (\

Elesa strolled out of the hair salon with a new, fancy bun on the back of her head. It was dyed a lighter blonde than then her natural hair color, the dark blonde she sported two years ago. It was also wrapped together by a diamond-snowflake encrusted ribbon, and two locks that draped down to her neck. It wasn’t a traditional style in Unova, but she felt it gave a regal flair to her Santa dress.

She started walking towards the Ice Cream stand to pick up Mirabelle, but felt someone bump into her, and she saw a familiar head of spiky blond. She stared into eyes that were laced with melancholy, with a hint of “get lost”. He then spoke, and she realized who it was.

“Oh, sorry about that Miss… I should really watch where I’m going,” he sighed, and then stared up at the sky, as if he was waiting for something and not completely in this world.

“Volkner, it’s been quite a long while, hasn’t it? Why are you in Unova?” Elesa asked the Sunyshore gym leader. He was a fellow Electric-type trainer like her, and they’ve met only once during a regional convention between Unova and Sinnoh. They were both pretty young around that time, and Team Magma and Aqua were still running amok.

Ahh, sweet memories, though, he seemed a lot more happier back then.

“E-Elesa!? Is that you? All I remember that spunky, annoying girl who kept on blabbering about clothes. Now, all I see is a beautiful woman and rival standing before me.” He gave a sly smirk. “Remember, the Pokémon World Tournament’s starting up after the New Year. I’ve already spent the Holidays in Sinnoh, so I decided to get on ahead and get here as fast as I can,” Volkner gave a nonchalant reply to her.

“And all I see in front of me is a man bringing power outages instead of sparks. Seriously, what put you in this funk, no good battlers?” she retorted, before asking her concerned question while blushing. It was different for someone to call her their rival: only Skyla really did that, but she always got shocked. “Ah, I see. I’m going to a dinner party at Burgh’s tonight; you’re welcome to come with me, if you want,” she offered her old friend

“Sure, why not. Also, nice hair,” He replied stoically, basically ignoring the first part of what she said.

I’m guessing that’s a yes…

“Well, I need to pick someone up first,” Elesa replied, motioning Volkner to follow her. He did, and the two walked down Mode Street next to each other, but not holding hands. When they got to the Casteliacone stand, they picked up Mirabelle

“Volkner, Mirabelle. Mirabelle, Volkner,” Elesa introduced

"Hello,” Volkner replied interested

“Hello, Sir. Are you uh, her special someone?” Mirabelle asked the two of them.

Elesa and Volkner looked at each other in unison, both of them confused on why Mirabelle would ask them that. Elesa sighed and the sheepishly grinned at her, and went one to explain that they were just friends.

“Alright then, you’re just friends. I got it. So where is this fancy party?” Mirabelle asked, still in her waitress uniform.

“Um, Mirabelle, take these. I picked them up for you on the way to the hair salon. You can put it on when we get to the party. Just follow me. It’s at Castelia Spire.” Elesa gave the girl a bag of Sparkling Boutiques brand clothing, then walked towards a gigantic Spire that overlooked the town.

This’ll be a long night.

/) (\

Elesa, Mirabelle, and Volkner finally reached the Spire, traversing through the many crowds and fans around, and stalking, them. When they got there, Elesa shooed Mirabelle off to the bathroom while having Volkner go talk to someone about something. She also had to go to the bathroom, as she needed to change into her dress from her everyday street clothing. When she entered the bathroom, she heard sobbing.

“Mirabelle, is that you?” Elesa asked the young waitress as she started to get out her red velvet dress.

“Y-yes Ma’am… This dress, it’s so beautiful. I-I’ve never seen something so fancy and pretty in my entire life. You really got this for just me?” she asked hesitantly through her sobs of joy. Elesa knew that it was the perfect dress for the young girl once she saw it, she once wore it during her teenage years, and it fitted a brunette better than a blond. Elesa started to unzip her jacket, the giant fluffy one that she wore in the summer, but instead of her summer outfit, she wore her original gym clothing.

“Mirabelle, I know this may be sudden, but has anyone hurt you for no apparently reason?” Elesa asked cautiously. She knew girls like this are normally abused; she’s watched enough television, no matter how mind rotting it is, to know between truth and lies.

“Y-Yes, Pa always puts me through the heavy work, and always slaps me when I do something he deems wrong. Sometimes, he even whips me in front of my family. I don’t know why he does… It’s just not fair at times. Though, I have to be strong for my mother…” she started to cry again, but of sorrow instead of joy. Instead of huge sobs, Elesa heard soft sniffs, the clear signs of an ill-woken memory.

“Why don’t you tell me about your mom and what happened,” Elesa asked sympathetically. It was always hard talking to people like this for Elesa; she never knew what to do. People just thought of her as too cold to care, for her bad jokes just made it uncomfortable and had the situation turn sour. She was trying to uphold being a Sparkling Beauty, instead of a shocking one.

“Well, let’s see here. Pa works in the mines with Mister Clay, and we own a ranch off Route 6. Ma was a seamstress and had such beautiful, glistening auburn hair. She had these wonderful blue eyes that shone like radiant crystals, like she was pure of heart and content with her life. She was always having a happy smile on her face, and always cheered us up when we were down. My older brothers’ help around the ranch, making sure our Moo Moo Milk is the best in Unova. I used to be the clerk at the stand for our ranch in Driftveil, but we weren’t getting as much customers as we used to, so we sent my younger sister to work there for us. Well, everything in our life was perfect until the accident. Some wild Darmanitan lost control and started burning everything in sight… We saved everything we could, and we did… well, besides my mother. She died in the fire trying to protect me. I was sick durin’ the time, so I was lying in bed and fast asleep. She didn’t perish in the fire, but she breathed in too much smoke and died from lung poisoning. Pa came home after he was notified of her death, and seemed detached from the world. Even though it was a couple years ago… I can still remember that day like it was yesterday,” Mirabelle fully explained her story to Elesa, crying most of the time. It was easy to put the rest of the pieces in place for anyone with a good amount of knowledge of the people of Driftveil.

Her Pa abuses her both because she looks exactly like her mother, and she does from her description, or because of his beloved wife died saving her, or both. He probably doesn’t want to be reminded of his dead wife either, so he’s trying to make his daughter not look like her. She is such a pretty girl as well.

“Well, we have to keep on moving forward. My past sometimes comes back to haunt me at times, but we need accept what has happened and move on. I’m sure you already have, but tell your father that. Oh, I don’t think I’ve ever told you my name! I can be so…” Elesa searched for the right word. “Flighty at times.”

“Well Ms. Elesa, it’s an honor I met you. I think I should tell Pa that when I get home. Well, anyways, how do I look?” Mirabelle asked as Elesa heard the stall next to her open. Elesa finished putting on her dress, carefully to not ruin her bun, and stepped outside of bathroom stall. Mirabelle seemed to look like a winter princess, literary. She had a light blue dress with a glitter effect to it draping down to her ankles, with white, fluffy trims on the sleeves, collars, and end of the dress. She also had on a matching snowflake necklace. The dress really highlighted her eyes, and her hair seemed to have a certain shine to it.

“Very nice… Now go on! Enjoy yourself at the dinner!” Elesa hurried the girl out, before grabbing her belongings and setting them aside. Burgh knew how to through the most magnificent parties, even if he was out there. Elesa went outside and saw that spider silk was weaved into elegant patterns and designs to make the room feel like it was filled with snow.

Elesa decided to go and see Volkner, who was just sipping a martini glass. She saw him get up as she approached him.

“Well, you look beautiful,” Volkner told her, making her blush. Something was different about him.

“And you still look dull. Come on, we’re at a party! Llet’s have some fun! It’s not fun if you just mope in a corner getting drunk.” Elesa mischievously sighed and shook her head.

She took Volkner’s hand and started to drag him into the middle of the floor.

“What are you thinking?” he questioned her in a cautious tone, she could tell he was horrible at dancing just by his expression.

“Just a little dance. It won’t be that bad, I promise you that,” Elesa responded to him. She grabbed his hand, and had him put his hand on her back. “Look at me in the eyes,” she ordered, but it was more of a suggestion the way she said it. “Now, we just move forward and backwards. Is that simple enough for you, Volky?” she asked him in a taunting tone; even resorting to the old nickname she called him. She could see his face erupt to a passionate red.

“Y-Yea, I guess so. I guess we shall dance then.” Volkner seemed to look the other way before staring her in the eyes, and they started the tradition ballroom dance. Elesa felt swept away with all the wondrous rhythms and motions of the simplicity of the elegant dance. They continued, leaving sparks of hard work behind them, trying to perfect such a simple and elegant dance in the spire. Soon, all of her worries were swept away in the dance, and she could sneak on his face a small smile, even if it was there for a second. Soon, she felt like she transcended earth with him, and they dancing among the clouds, with them alone. Though, of course, she was never the luckiest girl.

“Miss Elesa! Watch out” she could hear Mirabelle breaking her illusion, and she tripped on something. She felt like she was flying, and Volkner was alone with her. Everything was moving too fast to register in her brain, and when she was finally clear-headed, she found herself sitting in a fountain, with Mirabelle and Burgh hovering over her.

“Where’s Volkner,” she asked, “And why am I in a fountain?” she asked the two, who had smirks on their face.

“Miss Elesa, I was tryin’ to warn ya about a stray pokeball that fell on the floor. It sent ya flying into the fountain; Volkner flew in the other direction and landed on Mr. Stu Deeoh. They’re both okay, thankfully. I came over here to see how you were!” Mirabelle explained to Elesa with a certain motherly demeanor. Even though through the short time the two spent together, they had formed a tight bond.

“My bug-types were telling me that the party was of huge success, and that love was in the air, but then they started to squirm. I could sense something was wrong, so I came here as soon as I could. It was a good thing you weren’t hurt, otherwise I might have had to cancel this wonderful party,” Burgh told Elesa in his ominous bug talk. Burgh was the eccentric gym leader of Castelia, but his silken suit seemed to note he was richer than he seemed.

“Thank you two for the concern. I had a wonderful night tonight, but I feel that I just need to go home. Mirabelle, here’s my X-Transceiver number. When you get to your home next, please ring me up a call, okay? I want to take you on as an apprentice. Burgh, sorry we couldn’t chat tonight, but I’ll see you at the meet they’re holding at a few months. Now, if you excuse me, I need to go see Volkner,” Elesa explained to the two with certain enthusiasm she got up from the fountain, and gave them both a hug goodbye. She then made her way towards Volkner.

“It was good to see you again,” Elesa told him.

“I guess it was,” he replied back.

“How about we meet up next Friday?” she asked.

“Sure, I don’t see the problem,” he looked the other way.

"Fine, I’ll see you then.”

“Same here.”

Elesa gave him a hug good-bye before walking towards the bathroom to pick up her stuff. She then waved everyone at the party a good-bye, and went into the Elevator. She pressed the button to close the door and went down to start the long trek home, with thoughts of her wet clothes and Volkner on her mind.

Firstly, let me say that I don't exactly ship Shockingshipping. But bravo nonetheless. It was enjoyable, and flowed quite well. Although I must nitpick a few things about it.

She smelled peppermint in the air, something she commonly snacked on as a kid.

Smelled doesn't seem correct in that context.

The Ferris wheel that toward of the city in an ominous tower

Not sure about this line in it's entirety.

She went down the stairs, trying to avoid the furious holiday shoppers that were coming to and leaving the city, trying to get in presents for the day that almost everyone looked forward to. She went to the station clerk, who asked for her ticket.

Could be worded better.

Otherwise, I like what you're going for. I also like that you're giving each character plenty of backbone and emotion, rather than just leaving them as bland NPC's.

A/N: Sorry for taking way to long everyone. Also, the warning the rating may change

She felt around with her hand, feeling the velvety smooth fabric under each of her fingers. The warm smells of toast and fresh muffins filled her nostrils, and her eyes could only see a hazy black. She tossed and turned in her bed, wanting to fight of the urge to eat and sleep longer. Though, the Electric gym leader was forced to wake up when she felt a small jolt run down her body.

“Emol, Emooolga!” Her Emolga signified her that her breakfast was about to get cold, before flying off her delicate hair.

Elesa looked around her room, and grabbed a piece of toast drowsily. She started to eat the piece of toast, feeling the freshly melted Moo Moo butter trickle down her tongue. It was infused with many different herbs, like thyme and rosemary, and was toasted to perfection

She flung off her bedsheets after savoring her light breakfast, heading towards the bathroom. Her hair was a frizzy, wavy mess, not like the perfect bun it was last week. Elesa reached for her hairbrush, and started to get to work on her hair.

She first of all brushed out all of the knots that were formed from sleeping (Since she thrashes around in her sleep, it’s not really a surprise). Elesa then made her way towards the shower and turned on the handle. She quickly took off her black pajamas with lightning bolts and tossed them aside, and jumped into the cold shower. Grabbing her shampoo, Elesa started to wash out all the gunk in her hair, and also the frizz that her Emolga made earlier. The gym leader washed out all of the bubbles that were enveloped by her shampoo, and then applied her conditioner to her hair to keep it the same glossy sheen it always been.

After her hair was completely washed and not soapy, Elesa turned off the shower and stepped out, grabbing the freshly prepared towel made from mareep wool. It was soft against her skin, and also absorbed the water quite nicely, but it also stunk if too much water was absorbed, so Elesa gently patted the towel over her skin and hair in order to not cause damage to either her hair or skin. When Elesa finished drying herself off, she started to blow dry her hair gently.

It was a very holy and sacred ritual for the model; every morning, everything had to be perfect. Elesa, however, would not get this sanctuary this morning as she soon heard a voice in the room, and squeaked; quickly covering up her sacred gardens.

“Miss Elesa, we have a guest at the door. She goes by the name of Miss Maribelle, and has luggage with her. Is she a guest that is staying for a while, Miss Elesa?” An old man, roughly in his late fifties announced in his usually formal, but stuffy tone. The man was dressed in a simple, yet formal black suit, and alabaster gloves just close to suffocating his hands on.

“J-Jarvis! I told you to knock before entering my bathroom!!! I squealed louder than a Tepig! I’m going to Raichu a nice little GET OUT note,” Elesa screamed in anger, but her face was flaring from embarrassment instead of anger.

“I’m sorry my lady, you know how things escape me at times. I had the same problem with your mother. Why are the women in this family always in the bathroom when something important is happening?” Jarvis rhetorically asked before carrying off, allowing Elesa to carry on her own business.

Elesa sighed as she put on her outfit: a nice lavender jacket that had the sleeves extend past her hands. Complementing her jacket were ebony tights, and it made her feel fashionable, playful, and comfortable. She happily bounced down the stairs, her Emolga begrudgingly sitting on her head through the trip. She soon arrived to the front door, a majestic piece carved from maple trees.

“Yes Boss, I understand. I’ll make sure it’s qui-” Elesa opened the door to see Maribelle talking on the phone. Her voice was different, a little deeper and more... familiar to Elesa. Maribelle shifted her eyes to Elesa, and had a look that seemed almost shocked, but hard to read.

“Alright Pa, thank you for your wishes! Good luck on the farm. Bye!” Maribelle quickly shifted into her actual voice and quickly hung up the phone. The girl then looked up at Elesa.

“Hey Miss Elesa! Sorry, my father asked me to do some quick farm business. It shouldn’t take quick at all. Just need to use a dang-nab computer and check marketing sales, whatever those are. Anyways isn’t today your date with Mr. Volkner? “ Maribelle asked as she dragged in her luggage and handed it to Jarvis. The girl seemed to take in the mansion, and Elesa chuckled at her childish look, before giving a small gasp at remembering

“That’s fine, I have a modem next to the fire place. I’m going to call Volkner, alright?” Elesa waved towards Maribelle as she headed upstairs

“Just ask Jarvis. He’ll explain!” Elesa shouted back, running up the stairs with her Emolga trailing after her. Elesa had to tiptoe around the staff as they were going up and down the stairs, trying to make sure she didn’t cause any accidents. That wouldn’t of been bright at all. She looked up to see her Emolga panting and whining, so she gave it a nice pat to reassure it.

Elesa reached her cross transceiver and attached it to her arm. She looked through the number address and pressed the call button next to Volkner’s name. She waited for the connection to get through, considering Volkner was never a morning person, she was prepared for any grouchiness. She quickly glanced at the screen, and saw the connection go through

“Elesa... What do you want? It’s three in the morning...” Volkner yawned drowsily, obviously cross at Elesa ruining his sleep.

“It’s nine in the morning Volkner, not three. I still think you’re used to Sinnoh standard time,” she giggled slightly at the thought, but knew time zone changes were always rough, considering all the times she had to go to Kalos for fashion reasons.

Volkner rubbed his eyes and the shifted to a more comfortable position, making it so that more light was coming into his face. He looked groggy and sort of hung over as well, and his face wasn’t being kept up well. Elesa saw specks of grime and food stains, another sign Volkner wasn’t keeping himself up. Though by the glimpses of the apartment she could get, Elesa deducted that they probably had a party, a wild one at that, the night before.

“You’re serious, right? Look Elesa, we had a wild party last night and most of us had gotten drunk. Just give me a few minutes to wake up, alright?” Volkner asked as politely as he could, before leaving the screen for a while. Elesa surveyed the room, seeing broken plates and bottles of wine cluttering the table. She thought she saw Flint sleeping on the couch she could catch sight of, which was riddled with stains. After she was done expecting the small area, she saw Volkner returning to the call, looking a bit fresher with coffee in hand.

“So anyways, Les, why’d you call anyways? Don’t you have some fashion thing going on?” Volkner questioned her, using a tone she was used to; when they were rivals.
“Not today, I already have plans today. More specifically, we have plans today. Remember last Friday at Burgh’s party, Volk?” Elesa reminded him, and she saw the realization slap him right across the face

“Damn it, Elesa... I guess I forgot about it. I don’t find it surprising though. I’ve been forgetful as of late,” Volkner scratched the back of his head embarrassed, erupting a small laugh. Elesa was shocked at the gesture, as Volkner barely showed any emotion, much less happiness.

“New Meds? Anyways how about we meet up at the Nimbasa Park? We could have a nice picnic there, even if there is supposed to be snowfall today. Maybe we could have some soup? That would be nice on such a cold day...” She started to murmur to herself, trying to get ideas finalized.

“Les? Anyways, yea, the doctor gave me a new prescription. It seems to be helping a bit, and that’s fine. I’ll meet you over there, Elesa. You can bring the food if you want,” Volkner quickly responded before hanging up.

The fashion model looked up to see her Emolga spacing out, and giggled a bit at her Emolga’s reaction when she got up. The squirrel started to yell at Elesa in a sort of ticked tone, but couldn’t keep the yelling long before busting out into laughter. The two of them laughed for a while before heading downstairs into the kitchen.

“Alright listen up, I’m going to be cooking,” Elesa announced to the chefs, which all instantly tried to stop her from cooking

“Elesa remember what happened last time!”

“You don’t want to poison someone else, do you?”

“We lost all of our silverware in that fire.”

“I still want to cook, guys. It’s for someone special. I want everything today to shine!” Elesa exclaimed, causing her chefs to groan in despair. “I’ll have you guys help me though,” she quickly added in to avoid any chaos she may cause.

“Fine, let’s get started with this nightmare,” the head chef groaned as he went towards the oven, starting the intricate mechanisms of cooking to be put in motion.

/) (\

Two lone figures walked through the silvery stardust known as snow, the powder flying around in graceful pirouettes, lightly dusting the two figures in it’s beauty. They looked over the landscape, seeing everything in the park in crystallized beauty. Looking for a place of refuge, the two figures found a tree that offered some protection from the snow.

“‘Cuse me Miss Elesa, why did you have me come along? If you and Mister Volkner are havin’ a date, shouldn’t I stay at your house?” Maribelle questioned, a hint of confusion in her sweet tone.

“I wanted to have you more acquainted with the city dear. A model must always know their home turf. Besides sweetie, the chefs made too much food, and it’s not going to be romantic or anything,” Elesa responded with her usual cheery tone. While she was known for her stoicism, those close to her knew her as the electrifying beauty she claimed to be.

“Aren’t dates supposed to be romantic though, Miss Elesa?” The former ice cream clerk asked, a little confused at the model’s reasoning.

“It’s just a get together between two people; it’s not always romantic you know,” the model laughed before starting to set up the picnic.

The two woman first of all layed out a snow proof tablecloth, and then gently set out the warm delicacies Elesa’s chefs assisted her in making. From homemade tomato soup with Gogoat cheese and basil, to fresh lavender and pecha berry pound cake with a sugar glaze. The smells wafted through the air, letting the snow become it’s messanger.

The two models started to chat about various things, from what Maribelle was getting herself into, their pasts, recent events and much more. Though Elesa noticed that around certain subjects Maribelle was asking suspicious, or her voice would change into one that was familiar, but she couldn’t exactly pin it one one person. A nagging feel of she knew Maribelle from somewhere before ate away at Elesa, but she knew she shouldn’t worry about it too much. After roughly ten minutes she saw a lone figure walking towards them.

“Hey, there you guys are,” Volkner called out in an annoyed tone.

“I guess I should've warned you about how big the park was,” Elesa giggled embarrassedly.

“You should've, I’m covered in snow,” he bitterly remarked. “Though I was able to find you guys by the scent of fresh food. Les, you didn’t have do that much food,” Volkner sighed.

“It’s not my fault my chefs are worried about me cooking, I swear! At least all of the food is Butterfree,” Elesa playfully retorted before getting up to hug Volkner.

“Anyways, Mirabelle was it?”He asked the girl. “Nice to have you here, we do need a ref,” Volkner said before vaguely trailing off about something. Elesa gave Volkner the same look of confusion her apprentice was.

“Wait, ref? I thought we’d have a nice, relaxing evening,” the model sighed before taking a sip of her soup.

“I guess it has been that long. Whenever we use to set up these ‘dates’, they were more of set dates to battle each other, don’t you remember Elesa?” Volkner questioned her worryingly, nostalgia cluttering his gaze.

“You thought it was that, Volk? I guess my head’s been stuck in the Castform for so long I forgot about most of our rival day,” Elesa responded to Volkner. “If we’re going to battle, we should eat first.”

“The food’s starting to get cold Miss Elesa!” Maribelle added in.

“I guess we shouldn’t let this food to waste. Let’s see if your cooking will shock me as much as your skills at battling,” Volkner replied in almost a challenging tone before sitting down next to Elesa.

The three friends started to engage in dinner, talking about many myriad topics, such as the winter season and there travels. Many emotions were exchanged throughout the meal, such as sadness and melancholy, to happiness and laughter. Though Elesa noticed the snow drowned out all the sounds around them, giver her a sense of security from the falling flakes. She giggled at Maribelle constantly trying to eat the food properly, but in the end broke down to scarfing it down. She took a more refined taste and took small bits, in order to get full faster and keep her figure in check. Volkner, she noticed, took small bites at the food questionly before giving a good grunt of approval and continued to eat the food normally. After the dinner was done, Maribelle stretched out like a Purrloin and started to fall asleep. Elesa couldn’t help take a picture of the cute moment. She saw Volkner take his pills, and then get up.

“Hey, Les, ready for the battle?” Volkner asked, waking up Maribelle.

“Does this mean... I have to ref now..?” Maribelle replied drowsily, almost reluctant to get up from her cat nap.

“You can always sleep when we get back to my mansion,” the fashion model stepped in and reminded her apprentice.

“Well then, let’s start the match!” Elesa announced as the three walked into an empty part of the park.

“Alright then, this is going to a one on one match between the Sunyshore City Gym Leader Volkner versus the Nimbasa City Gym Leader Volkner!” Maribelle announced in a higher tone in normal, in the same voice that struck a chord of memory in Elesa’s mind. She then caught a glimpse of Maribelle covering her mouth.

“Hey Elesa,” Volkner’s voice got her attention, making her swing around to face him. “Will you bring back my spark to battle?” He asked cockily.

“Well then Volkner, I certainly hope so. Now, Let’s see... who shines the BRIGHTEST!” she yelled, tossing out her Emolga’s pokeball.

The Emolga flew out happily, before feeling a cold flurry wind hit her. The Emolga silently landed before cursing at her trainer, having Elesa giggle slightly at her Emolga’s whining. The Emolga soon saw Volkner, and gave him a questioning look. She then stuck her tongue out at him, almost taunting him.

Volkner gave a short shrug before sending out his Pokemon; Luxray. The Luxray let out a powerful roar that disrupted the snowfall. Emolga flew behind Elesa, cowering at her knee. Nudging her Emolga to get back the the battlefield, the model noticed her Emolga was slightly intimidated by the Luxray. It looked at them with looming, powerful eyes, almost intent on winning the match. Elesa could tell by the stance of the Luxray, Volkner hadn’t battled in a while.

“Emolga, start off with Charm!” Elesa started off the match with the first order.

“Luxray, Ice Fang,” Volkner calmly commanded his pokemon.

The two pokemon stared at each other intently, sparks starting to zip through the air. Snow was starting to cling to their furs, their legs were twitching. Due to Emolga’s much higher speed, she was able to quickly get a charming look on her face, the cute facade creating hearts out of the snow. Luxray, who was starting to rush towards the flying squirrel, started to skid to a halt noticing the cuteness of the creature. Though, the lion wasn’t detrimental by the charming look, and encased his fangs in the snow. Emolga tried to move but found her body immobilized by fear, making Elesa start to bite her lip. The lion bit down on one of the squirrel’s “wings”, and tossed her up into the air, freezing that part of the skin.

The squirrel was starting to spiral down towards the earth, desperately trying to regain her balance. The lion sent out a series of sparks that were starting to home in onto the Emolga, the squirrel doing everything she can to avoid them. However, due to her iced over state she wasn’t agile enough and had several of the sparks hit her, causing moderate pain and freeing her from the icy prison. The squirrel charged at the Luxray, swiftly flying through the air like a blur. It was hard for Elesa to see the Emolga, though she could see it ram into the lion. However the lion wasn’t deterred.

“Hmm, get away with Volt Switch...” Elesa worryingly ordered, not having a serious battle like this in a long time.

“Finish it with Thunder,” Volkner commanded, clearly unimpressed

The squirrel created an orb of electricity from her cheeks and fired the orb, launching herself back. She smirked, thinking she had the upper hand, though fate would not be kind to her. The Luxray summoned a gigantic bolt of lighting that ripped through the small squirrel, scoring a critical hit. The Emolga stuttered for a second before falling to the ground

“Emolga is unable to battle. Volkner is the Winner!” Maribelle announced.

“You just got a critical hit Volkner. Besides I haven’t used my old team in so long, I miss them,” Elesa responded to Volkner, her voice clouded by Melancholy.

“Being a leader is hard, as you don’t get to see all of your friends,” Volkner agreed, and the two of them looked into the distance.

“Hey you two, lighten up!” Maribelle enthusiastically exclaimed, catching the two’s attention. Elesa looked at Maribelle in unison with Volkner, and felt her face being hit square on with a snow ball.

“If it’s a fight you want, it’s a fight you’ll get!” Elesa playfully replied before starting to run off and get snowballs.

“Hmm, this’ll be fun. Come on then, let’s do this!” Volkner roared, heading off in a direction opposite of Elesa.

The three friends started their snowball war, the frosty orbs of snow singing through the air. The silvery stardust started to thin, showing the crescent moon having over them. Elesa didn’t remember the last time she had this much fun, and she could tell the other two had the same wave length. Laughter and Giggles faded into the night air, creating a joyous symphony in the falling snow. For once, Elesa could just forget about the worries of life and just have fun, but she felt something in her heart. Even in the depths of winter, a seed was planted there, being watered by the gloomy power of love. Volkner was different to her. He felt different to her. Though, she shrugged it off and let herself be enveloped in the heat of the moment, enjoying the snowball fight.